Help Brandon Keep His Children Close: A Custody Battle Story

Hello, my name is Brandon Garis, and I am reaching out to you in a time of great need.

In 2023, I was served with divorce papers from my ex-wife, who is in the Air Force. The divorce stipulated that she would retain primary custody of our children and take them away from me whenever she moved to a new duty station, which typically happens every 3-4 years. This arrangement would reduce my time with our children to just 40 days a year, and each visit would come with significant travel costs. I would be reduced from seeing our kids almost 5 days a week to roughly 10% of the year.

I made the decision to stay in Alaska—a state we moved to and uprooted our children's lives from Montana due to my ex-wife's military service—to remain close to our children. I wanted to provide stability, be there for them on a day-to-day basis, take them to and from school, engage in their sports activities, and keep them out of childcare. Unfortunately, this came at a significant cost, and I had to pay a large amount in lawyer fees to retain primary shared custody.

Now, in 2024, my ex-wife has refiled for primary custody as she plans to move out of Alaska in the future. I have not been given any details about where or when this move will occur, but it is imminent & clear in filings. Her new filing proposes that when she leaves Alaska for work, I would only have custody of our children for 4 weeks out of a 9-week summer, spring break every other year, and just 1 week of a 2-week winter break—again, roughly 10% of the year. Additionally, I would be required to pay a large sum in child support as a result of her moving away for work when I am perfectly capable and willing to take care of our children. This will result in me involuntarily being removed from their lives and having to pay for that removal.

If my ex-wife's plan goes through, our children would face constant school changes, be frequently placed in childcare due to her work restrictions, and miss out on vital sports programs which she has neglected in the past. Not to mention their father being essentially removed from their home and lives. My commitment to staying in Alaska was to provide our children with a stable environment. I am able to be present, pick them up and drop them off at school, keep them out of daycare during the summer and school year, and prioritize their commitments above my own. I love being a dad. It is the most important role I have. Nothing makes me happier than being around Jaxon and Camila, doing life with them, teaching them, watching them grow, and guiding them to be the best versions of themselves.

This sudden legal battle has forced me to fight in court to maintain custody of our children or risk seeing them only 30-40 days a year. I have always put my career and personal life on hold to ensure our children have both parents actively involved in their lives. My ex-wife’s actions to relocate for a career and reduce my custody would change their lives forever.

This legal battle has brought about another round of legal fees, on top of those I have already paid. Those who know me understand that I rarely ask others for help. I have always taken on difficult burdens on my own & do not wish to bother or have my problems put onto others. However, I must now display humility as I am now in a fight for our children’s best interests and my fatherhood, which is being threatened by my ex-wife’s actions.

I am reaching out for support. Anything you can spare would be immensely helpful in this fight to keep our children close and provide them with the stability and care they deserve. I did not want it to come to this, but I am now faced with a battle that is far more important than myself—our children's future.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Any support provided will go directly to legal fees and ensure that I am given a fighting chance to stay in our children's lives in a meaningful way.

Brandon Garis